Logistics News

Shipping fairway plan met with concern

A plan for shipping fairways off Australia’s north-west coast could restrict shipping lines, says Shipping Australia

By Sean Muir |
August 2, 2012

Shipping Australia CEO Llew Russell says the Federal Government’s plan for a network of shipping fairways off Australia’s north-west coast lacks detail and could restrict shipping.

Russell
says
Shipping Australia
is not opposed to the proposal, announced today, but more detail needs to be provided to assure the maritime industry it won’t be unduly restrictive.

“Our reaction is we can see the benefit but we need to see the details to determine how efficient and flexible the fairways are to accommodate the increase in shipping that is definitely going to occur in that area,” Russell says.

“What actually has been announced except that this is an objective?”Russell says.

Russell says the fairway proposal
will be discussed at an upcoming one-day seminar on current Australian export productivity constraints.

“I think Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) will probably have quite a lot to say about it,” Russell says.

The seminar will be hosted by Shipping Australia and the Export Council of Australia at Sydney on August 24.

Transport Minister Anthony Albanese announced early today the plan for a network of shipping fairways.

Albanese says the fairways will be designed to improve the safe movement of ships.

He says the new fairways will be based on similar ship routeing arrangements in Australia and overseas that have proven successful in reducing the risk of collision.

“For busy shipping routes, it’s important we continue to increase navigational safety and reduce the risk of ship groundings and collisions,” Albanese says.

“That is exactly what the new network of shipping fairways will do.

“Together, they will reduce the risk of collision by directing large vessels such as bulk carriers and LNG ships into pre-defined routes to keep them clear of offshore infrastructure such as oil and gas rigs.”

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